Hungary is considering building two new nuclear reactors at its sole power plant in Paks, southern Hungary to meet future demand for electricity, MTI News Agency reported on Tuesday.
The two new reactors will each have a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, said the power plant's chief technical advisor, Andras Cserhati.
The reactors will be put into operation between 2020 and 2025, though analysts differ on how much capacity will be needed. Some say 3,000 MW should be targeted by 2015-2020, while others argue 8,000 MW additional capacity is more realistic.
Nearly 70 percent of residents back the idea of nuclear power and parliament members (MPs) have broadly indicated they will support it, though it will depend on parliament to materialize the concept of the nuclear reactors.
Opinions in support of nuclear power highlighted the reliability of supplies, cutting the country's dependence on energy imports and more predictable production costs, Cserhati said, adding that uranium procurement is simple and reliable, since Hungary has its own uranium resources.
At present there are four nuclear reactors at Paks, each with a capacity of 400 MW. The country's parliament has recently voted to extend their service to 2037.
